Popularity Increase
Golf before the 1920's was not played by everyone. It was a sport that was widely recognized as the sport of the upper classes. But in the 1920's, that started to change. More and more people were golfing no matter what class they were. Golf was not the only sport in the 1920's that had the
Bobby Jones
popularity rise. All of the sports we have now took a big rise in popularity in the 1920's. Since there were becoming more golfers on averages. We needed to keep making new courses and new courses to keep up with the popularity increase.
Players
The greatest golfer in the game at this time was Bobby Jones. He is known today as one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game along with Jack Nicklaus and others. He won 13 major championships inlcuding the U.S. open in 1923 and 1926. Him and Walter Hagen were considered the best players in the world at this time. In my opinion, the coolest greatest course in the United States, and considered the same by many others, Augusta Nationall Golf Club which hosts the Masters championship was founded by Bobby Jones. From 1923 to 1930, out of the 21 majors that Jones played in, he won 13 of them (about 66%). In 1926, he won the U.S. open along with the British open, the first person to do so. Bobby Jones, by his accomplishments, is recognized today as one of the greatest players to ever play the game of golf.
Bobby Jones
Another great golfer in this time period was Walter Hagen. Along with Bobby Jones, in the 1920's he was also considered one of the elite players. He won 11 major championships including winning the PGA
Championship 5 times, the British Open 4 times, and the U.S. Open 2 times. He was a great putter and the greatest match player of all time. Walter Hagen had a great approach to the mental aspects of the game understanding that the most important shot is the next one. He understood the game very well and had a great personality. He understood that you can never golf a absolutely perfect round, he always said "I expect to make at least
Walter Hagen
7 mistakes a round." He was very mentally tough. These two golfers were the best golfers of the 1920's and dominated golf of this time and both of them were eventually inducted into the World Hall of Fame.
Equipment
Back in this time, players played with wooden clubs so they couldnt hit near as far as they can nowadays. Today, you don't see anyone that plays golf carrying around a 2 iron or a 1 iron. Well back then, they had those types of clubs. The equipment from back then to modern day has changed dramatically. The clubs and balls and the rest of the equipment they make now have been upgraded very far from what they had in their day.
Tournaments
In tournaments in the pros, there is four 18 hole rounds for a total of 72 holes. When the tournament is over, they add up all of the scores for each individual on all 72 holes and total the score for each round. Whoever has the lowest score out of all of the 72 holes played, wins the tournament, makes sense. The following is a list of the winners of the greatest tournaments in the world today and in the 1920's:
Winners (U.S. Open)
1920-Edward Ray won this year with a score of 295 averaging a score of about 73 per round.
1921-James M Barnes won with a score of 289 on Columbia Country Club averaging about a score of 72 per round.
1922-This year, Gene Sarazen won the tournament averaging 72 per round with a total score of 288.
1923-At Inwood Country Club, Bobby Jones won the tournament with a score of 296 averaging about 74 shots per round.
1924-Cyril Walker with a score of 297 averaging about 74 shots per round at Oakland Hills golf course.
1925-Winner was Tommy McFarlane with a score of 291 averaging about 72 per round at Worcester Country Club
1926-Bobby Jones the tourney this year with a score of 293 at Scioto Country Club.
1927-With a total score of 301 averaging around 75 per round, Tommy Armour won this U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
1928-Johnny Farrel wins with a score of 294 at Olympia Fields Country Club averaging about 73 shots per round.
1929-Bobby Jones wins this year with a score of 294 at Winged Foot (West) golf course.
1930-With a great total score of 287, Bobby Jones for the second year in a row wins the Open averaging around 71 per round at Interlachen Country Club.
Winners (British Open)
1920-George Duncan wins the British Open this year with a total score of 303 averaging around 75 per round.
1921-At St. Andrews, one of the most known courses today and back then, Jock Hutchison getting a total score of 296.
1922-One the best golfers of this day and ever won the British Open this year with a score of 300 exactly at Royal St. Georges golf course.
1923-Averaging around 73 per round and a total score of 295, Arthur Havens won the tournament this year.
1924-Walter Hagen won again this year with a score of 301 at Hoylake golf course.
1925-James M. Barnes won the British Open this year with a score of 300 exactly at Prestwick golf course.
1926-Total score of 291, Bobby Jones won this year averaging even par per round at Royal Lytham.
1927-Bobby Jones wins the British Open for the second year in a row at St. Andrews with a great score of 285.
1928-This year at Royal St. George's, Walter Hagen won with a final score of 292
1929-Shooting a 292 for the second year in a row, Walter Hagen wins again at Muirfield golf course.
1930- To finish off the 1920's, Bobby Jones won the 1930 British Open with a final score of 291 at Hoylake golf course.
Golf Courses of the 1920's
One of the most popular courses of all time and still is one of the most amazing and popular courses today is known as St. Andrews. In Scotland, it is one of the oldest courses in the history of golf. It is one of the most recognized courses in the world and it is treated with the utmost respect. Known for its huge greens and very flat land, St. Andrews is a very unique course. Many holes share greens with the other holes. There are only a
Bridge Over Swilken Burn
few holes on the whole course that have their own green. Although this course was not only distinctively popular in the only in the 1920's, this course was used many times in the 1920's for championship tournaments for professionals hosting British Opens. This course has been popular since the 1500's all the way up to modern day so it has always been popular. The picture on the right shows you looking up the 18th fairway at the old course at St. Andrews. The bridge on the left is the most known bridge in golf. Many great golfers have walked across that bridge for a long time and that is why people consider it an honor to walk across that bridge. It is known as "The Bridge over Swilken Burn".There were many other great courses that were widely used during the 1920's like Hoylake Golf Course and St. Andrews ranks at the top.
Golfing just like any other sport during the 1920's grew in popularity by a significant amount. Before the time around the 1920's, the sport of golf was more reserved for the more sophisticated and rich. And since the 1920's, golf has been more spread around to anyone who wants to play and enjoys it. Golf is known as "The Gentlemens Game" because it is a peaceful sport that is treated with a lot of respect. You can either play in competitions or you can just go out and have a good time.
Golf before the 1920's was not played by everyone. It was a sport that was widely recognized as the sport of the upper classes. But in the 1920's, that started to change. More and more people were golfing no matter what class they were. Golf was not the only sport in the 1920's that had the
Players
The greatest golfer in the game at this time was Bobby Jones. He is known today as one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game along with Jack Nicklaus and others. He won 13 major championships inlcuding the U.S. open in 1923 and 1926. Him and Walter Hagen were considered the best players in the world at this time. In my opinion, the coolest greatest course in the United States, and considered the same by many others, Augusta Nationall Golf Club which hosts the Masters championship was founded by Bobby Jones. From 1923 to 1930, out of the 21 majors that Jones played in, he won 13 of them (about 66%). In 1926, he won the U.S. open along with the British open, the first person to do so. Bobby Jones, by his accomplishments, is recognized today as one of the greatest players to ever play the game of golf.
Championship 5 times, the British Open 4 times, and the U.S. Open 2 times. He was a great putter and the greatest match player of all time. Walter Hagen had a great approach to the mental aspects of the game understanding that the most important shot is the next one. He understood the game very well and had a great personality. He understood that you can never golf a absolutely perfect round, he always said "I expect to make at least
Equipment
Back in this time, players played with wooden clubs so they couldnt hit near as far as they can nowadays. Today, you don't see anyone that plays golf carrying around a 2 iron or a 1 iron. Well back then, they had those types of clubs. The equipment from back then to modern day has changed dramatically. The clubs and balls and the rest of the equipment they make now have been upgraded very far from what they had in their day.
Tournaments
In tournaments in the pros, there is four 18 hole rounds for a total of 72 holes. When the tournament is over, they add up all of the scores for each individual on all 72 holes and total the score for each round. Whoever has the lowest score out of all of the 72 holes played, wins the tournament, makes sense. The following is a list of the winners of the greatest tournaments in the world today and in the 1920's:
Winners (U.S. Open)
1920-Edward Ray won this year with a score of 295 averaging a score of about 73 per round.
1921-James M Barnes won with a score of 289 on Columbia Country Club averaging about a score of 72 per round.
1922-This year, Gene Sarazen won the tournament averaging 72 per round with a total score of 288.
1923-At Inwood Country Club, Bobby Jones won the tournament with a score of 296 averaging about 74 shots per round.
1924-Cyril Walker with a score of 297 averaging about 74 shots per round at Oakland Hills golf course.
1925-Winner was Tommy McFarlane with a score of 291 averaging about 72 per round at Worcester Country Club
1926-Bobby Jones the tourney this year with a score of 293 at Scioto Country Club.
1927-With a total score of 301 averaging around 75 per round, Tommy Armour won this U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
1928-Johnny Farrel wins with a score of 294 at Olympia Fields Country Club averaging about 73 shots per round.
1929-Bobby Jones wins this year with a score of 294 at Winged Foot (West) golf course.
1930-With a great total score of 287, Bobby Jones for the second year in a row wins the Open averaging around 71 per round at Interlachen Country Club.
Winners (British Open)
1920-George Duncan wins the British Open this year with a total score of 303 averaging around 75 per round.
1921-At St. Andrews, one of the most known courses today and back then, Jock Hutchison getting a total score of 296.
1922-One the best golfers of this day and ever won the British Open this year with a score of 300 exactly at Royal St. Georges golf course.
1923-Averaging around 73 per round and a total score of 295, Arthur Havens won the tournament this year.
1924-Walter Hagen won again this year with a score of 301 at Hoylake golf course.
1925-James M. Barnes won the British Open this year with a score of 300 exactly at Prestwick golf course.
1926-Total score of 291, Bobby Jones won this year averaging even par per round at Royal Lytham.
1927-Bobby Jones wins the British Open for the second year in a row at St. Andrews with a great score of 285.
1928-This year at Royal St. George's, Walter Hagen won with a final score of 292
1929-Shooting a 292 for the second year in a row, Walter Hagen wins again at Muirfield golf course.
1930- To finish off the 1920's, Bobby Jones won the 1930 British Open with a final score of 291 at Hoylake golf course.
Golf Courses of the 1920's
One of the most popular courses of all time and still is one of the most amazing and popular courses today is known as St. Andrews. In Scotland, it is one of the oldest courses in the history of golf. It is one of the most recognized courses in the world and it is treated with the utmost respect. Known for its huge greens and very flat land, St. Andrews is a very unique course. Many holes share greens with the other holes. There are only a
Golfing just like any other sport during the 1920's grew in popularity by a significant amount. Before the time around the 1920's, the sport of golf was more reserved for the more sophisticated and rich. And since the 1920's, golf has been more spread around to anyone who wants to play and enjoys it. Golf is known as "The Gentlemens Game" because it is a peaceful sport that is treated with a lot of respect. You can either play in competitions or you can just go out and have a good time.